


the sunshine on your skin

by AppleJuice (capolleon)



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, The Trials of Apollo - Rick Riordan
Genre: Day At The Beach, M/M, Summer, apollo is gay for leo duh, none of the characters are really important after that, summertime
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-19
Updated: 2017-03-19
Packaged: 2018-10-06 14:28:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10336643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/capolleon/pseuds/AppleJuice
Summary: Apollo and Leo are at the beach for the day. Apollo likes to think and watch.





	

**Author's Note:**

> disclaimer: i do not own pjo and/or any of its characters
> 
> i hate summer, but i do like summerseasoned fanfics.
> 
> it never explicitly says leo's birthday although it is assumed(?) that throughout the books he's 15, which kind of makes him one of the younger of the 7. anyway, i normally headcanon that his birthday is in august, although the date varies from the 31 to something like the 21st??? just because i think im funny for making leo a leo, or leo an-almost-leo-because-he-would-be-a-virgo... 
> 
> i don't even know you can ignore me now.

Apollo pushes his sunglasses past his pimply forehead and folds his wimpy arms. He curls his feet into the sand, and he spreads two towels out.

“It smells like the ocean.” He says bluntly.

“I would have never guessed.” Leo’s eyes can’t be seen through his sunglasses, but Apollo can tell they’re staring at him. Leo sticks the striped umbrella into the sand. “I can’t believe we’re finally taking a vacation.”

“I can literally see most of the camp from here.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” Leo waves him off, before plopping in the sand. He dumps his backpack in between the two towels. “This is our vacation to enjoy.”

“Mhm.” Apollo lays down on the yellow towel and flicks his sunglasses back on. He wonders if he can get a nice tan from the Camp Half-Blood shores.

 

 

The sun beams down and it feels great. Apollo sees the light reflecting off Leo's sunglasses as the boy runs around in the water. The sun rays feel warm against his skin, and Apollo relaxes.

Leo's back is a map of bronze skin and a couple of moles. Apollo watches from under the shade of the umbrella.

 

 

Leo’s building a sand castle. It has giant pillars and a moat. The castle probably reaches Leo’s waist.

“Pass me the hammer. In the front pocket.” There’s sand in Leo’s hair, and his hands move furiously with sticks. He mumbles, “I knew I would need it.”

Apollo throws the plastic yellow hammer that was packed in the front pocket because Leo supposedly knew he would need it. It smacks Leo in the back, but he doesn’t even wince.

Apollo sips soda slowly.

 

 

The water’s cold.

Apollo only knows this because Leo wakes him up with a bucket of water. Half of Leo’s sandcastle is already washed away, and a crab has already declared it as home.

“What the-” The bucket gets thrown down, and Leo’s running with a maniacal laughter.

There’s no use because Apollo’s already hightailing after him.

They splash into the freezing water, and everything is bright and clear. Leo’s shirt sticks to him, and Apollo’s blue swimsuit presses against his legs.

They dunk their heads underwater, as the gentle waves crash over.

 

 

Leo’s hands massage their way across Apollo’s back. Apollo groans under the pressure digging into him, as sunscreen spreads over his slightly reddening skin. It hurts only a tiny bit, with the startings of sunburn, but Leo makes it feel better.

“Done,” Leo mumbles. He rubs the remaining lotion on his own arms. Apollo doesn’t want him to be done, but the blond slides upward.

“You want me to do you?” Apollo runs a hand through his hair. He’s distracted by sinewy muscles and tan skin.

“Sure.” Leo flops onto his stomach, sand coating his sides.

Apollo flicks open the bottle with a _pop!_

 

They eat handmade lunches prepared by Leo's siblings. There’s actually a lot of food, from the sandwiches to the grapes to the crackers.

“Tastes like feet.” Leo chews with his mouth open, which is absolutely gross. He tilts the sandwich towards Apollo. “They can make a death machine, sure, but a sandwich? Never. Wanna try some?”

Apollo bites into it and agrees, that yes, it does indeed taste like feet. He spits it out the wad of food into a napkin and eats some of the crackers instead.

Leo’s throwing crumbs at the ocean and the crab in his sandcastle. Apollo steals Leo’s soda because Leo’s tastes better than his own.

Neither are really in a rush to finish eating.

 

 

They absolutely suck at volleyball.

Leo’s serves are okay, but his returning is the worst you can even imagine. Apollo can spike the ball downward, but anything else might cause a national disaster.

There isn’t even a net, and the ball isn’t even a proper volleyball. Apollo’s feet kick up sand when he tries to hit the ball back.

At some point, Leo ends up kicking it. This makes Apollo kick it back.

The ball flies back and forth until it lands in a corner of beach that’s sprinkled with glass. Apollo thinks the Perseus Jackson and the naiads will not be pleased with the finding of this dangerous spot.

 

 

Leo cartwheels in the sand. His feet hit a hot rock, burning from sitting in the sun all day. He jumps up and down.“I want to sleep.”

Apollo somersaults. His flip flops slap his feet. “Same.”

 

 

“What are you doing?”

Apollo dusts off another shell. “Collecting shells. And pretty rocks, but only the cool ones.”

Leo bends over and scans the ground. “I can’t find anything.”

“Cause I already looked over there.”

“Whoops.” Leo waddles to a new part of the beach. “Hey! I think I found a gold coin. Hashtag rich life. Hashtag the thug life chose me.”

“You found a drachma?” Apollo cranes his head to look at the sparkly item in Leo’s head.

“Hell yeah, I found a drama.”

“ _Drachma_.”

“ _Drama_.”

 

 

Apollo’s fingers comb through Leo’s damp hair. Leo leans back, with his head on Apollo’s chest.

“How messed up would it be if we switched all the shampoo with hair dye?” Leo says, fiddling with pieces of metal twine.

“Your pranks are getting lame.” Apollo teases.

Leo groans. “I know. At this rate, I think even Chris freaking Rodriguez does worse things.”

“Hmm. He _is_ my brother’s kid.” Apollo hums thoughtfully. “We can let the pegasi loose. Mayhem and excitement everywhere.”

“Have I ever,” Leo turns to look at Apollo and smirks, “Told you how much I love you?”

 

 

Apollo lays on his back, hands digging into the towel. Next to him, Leo hums softly.

“Tanning is boring,” Leo complains.

“It’s relaxing,” Apollo argues.

Leo sits up. “I’m bored. Entertain me.”

“Let me tan. Why can’t you just go in the water again?”

Leo tackles him, kicking up yellow sand.

 

 

The water is clear enough to see some of the fish swimming around. Apollo can see the pointy rocks at the bottom, and the smaller shiny pieces of glass. He knows New York beaches can be filthy, but this one seems a bit more taken cared of.

He comes up for air, before diving down again.

Leo’s staring at him. His hair floats around him, and he blinks slowly. Apollo grabs his hands and leans in. He’s going to kiss Leo Valdez in the water because that’s romantic, right?

Leo accidentally kicks Apollo’s shin, causing him to open his mouth and allow water to flood in. They both go up to the surface and pant like dogs.

“You’re Apollo.” Leo breathes.

“Yeah? Who else would I be?”

Leo pushes his sopping hair back and wipes his face. “You’re a sun god?”

“Really?” Apollo retorts. “Honestly, what do you even learn in school-”

“You glow in the water.” Leo snorts and grabs Apollo by the shoulder. “Holy Hera, you freaking _glow_.”

Apollo’s so embarrassed he sinks in the water. He can hear Leo’s laughter from below.

 

 

Leo fumbles with Lego blocks. The bright blocks are slowly building into a smaller scale version of the Argo II.

Apollo tries blowing the harmonica, that Leo packed. It comes out as a low buzz until he can almost effectively play a rendition of We Will Rock You.

The wind whistles quietly, and the beach is calm.

 

 

Apollo yawns, as he pulls the towel closer to warm himself. He stares at the sunset, and wonders how his sister is.

Leo rests his head on the other’s shoulder. “If the sun sets, does that mean you get tired?”

“No?” Apollo ponders it, and it makes him very confused.

“If the sun explodes, does that mean _you_ exploded?” Leo’s feet crosses over Apollo’s. He has tiny toes compared to Apollo’s bigger ones.

“I think everyone would die.”

It takes a bit of a while for Leo to come up with something else, and when he does he snickers. “So you know how the sun is a big ball of gas? And sends out solar flares? Is that actually you farting?”

“Leo, shut up.”

“... You didn’t disagree.”

Leo only shuts up after sand gets dumped into his shorts. He freaks out as Apollo giggles gleefully.

Apollo only stops laughing after Leo rips off his shorts with a triumphant grin.

 

 

“And what’s that?”

“Sirius.”

“And that?”

“Aries.”

Leo puts down his hand. “Ares has a star? So not fair.”

“Aries with an i.”

Apollo folds an arm behind his head, as he waits for Leo’s next statement.

“Like the sign. Are you an Aries? I think I’m a Virgo. Maybe a Leo, heh.”

Apollo tilts his head to look at Leo. Leo’s staring straight at him. His nose is a bit crooked, and his lips aren’t soft looking at all. Leo doesn’t have as much acne as Apollo does, but he does have a few sprinkled around.

“I don’t know. I don’t know if I really have a birthday.” Apollo shrugs. “I think you’re a Leo.”

Leo rolls his eyes. “Of course I’m a Leo, that’s what my mom named me.”

Apollo stares. “You know what I mean.”

“Yeah.” Leo turns back to looking up at the starry skies. “The element for Leo is fire. Which makes sense, I guess.”

Apollo’s hand lays in the sand, and he can feel the heat of Leo's next to it. His fingers inches closer until they weave with Leo's.

“And I think it's a Sun sign. Ruled by the sun or something like that.” Leo continues.

Apollo feels a squeeze on their conjoined hands and lets out a sigh. “Ruled by the sun, huh, Valdez? I think I can work with that.”

 

 

“Hey, wait up guys.” Austin scratches at his head. “Is that Dad?”

“Oh my gods.” Kayla kicks at the sand. “He’s in a relationship with that Hephaestus kid. Look, they’re all curled up together.”

“They could’ve at least slept inside.” Will looks away from the two, embarrassed.

Nico nudges Leo with his sneaker. “Have to bring them in.”

“They’re never going to hear the end of this, are they?” Will groans.

Kayla stuffs her hands in her pockets. “You and Dad have more in common than you think.”

Will looks exasperated. “How? _I_ was never caught cuddling on the beach.”

“Well for one,” Nico stares at him with a neutral face. “You’re both bi.”

“ _Oh my gods_.”

**Author's Note:**

> have a good day thanks :)


End file.
